Museum > Ruud
Sidearm, Wesix Electric

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Antiques:

Pictured
here are a Ruud gas sidearm, left, and a Wesix electric sidearm.
At one time there were more than 150 water heater manufacturers
and many made sidearm heaters. There were lots of permutations.

The
Ruud has two independent coils so either one could be replaced if
needed. Later versions had insulated sheet metal casings for lower
heat loss and more durability. Automatic control was also done so
that they needed no more attention than a modern heater.

The Wesix heater has a 4,500-watt element which is the same power
as most modern elements. The interesting thing is it is more than
four times bigger. With so much surface area, it would not produce
any quantity of sediment or scale. It was made in 1923 and we found
only a bit of dust in the unit, no scale at all.

The
temperature control is unusual also. An alcohol-filled chamber expands
when it reaches 150 degrees. This flips off the power to the heater.
There is no other control other than an on-off switch. 150 degrees
was normal in 1923!